Large cell lymphomas comprise approximately one fourth of all non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in children and young adults. Approximately one third of these tumors have a t(2;5)(p23;q35) chromosomal translocation (H. Stein and F. Dallenbach, in Neoplastic Hematopathology, D. M. Knowles, Ed. (Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore pp. 675-714 (1992)), suggesting that rearrangement of cellular proto-oncogenes on these chromosomes contributes to lymphomagenesis. Lymphomas with the t(2;5) typically involve lymph nodes, skin, lung, soft tissue, bone and the gastrointestinal tract, and arise predominantly from activated T lymphocytes (Y. Kaneko et al., Blood. 73: 806 (1989); M. M. Le Beau et al., Leukemia 3:866 (1989); R. Rimokh et al., Br. J. Haematol. 71:31 (1989); D. Y. Mason et al., Br. J. Haematol. 74:161 (1990); M. A. Bitter Am. J. Surg. Pathol. 14:305 (1990); M. E. Kadin, J. Clin. Oncol. 9:533 (1991); J. P. Greer et al., J. Clin. Oncol. 9:539 (1991); V. Vecchi et al., Med. Pediatr. Oncol. 21:402 (1993)). The malignant cells express IL-2 receptors and CD30 (Ki-1) antigen, a receptor for a newly described member of the tumor necrosis factor ligand family (H. Durkop et al., Cell 68:421 (1992); C. A. Smith et al., Cell 73:1349 (1993)). By the updated Kiel lymphoma classification, most tumors with the t(2;5) are classified as anaplastic large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (A. G. Stansfeld et al., Lancet. 1:292 (1988)).
Chromosomal abnormalities are frequently associated with malignant diseases. In a number of instances, specific chromosomal translocations have been characterized, which generate fusion genes encoding proteins with oncogenic properties (Sawyers et al., Cell 64:337-350 (1991)). A specific t(2;5) translocation is the hallmark of human anaplastic large cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.